Gig Review: Charli XCX Secret Sydney Gig

August 15, 2019

Ahead of the pop sensation’s long-awaited debut album, Charli, the British superstar treated a select few of Sydney-siders to an exclusive secret show last night at Oxford Art Factory.

The tone of the night was set by entering the venue with a welcome sign, “You are entering pop heaven. All angels welcome.” Charli clearly knows her fanbase, we partied with a myriad of twinkly and diverse pop divas each sporting an outfit more creative and sparkly than the next. This is despite us all only having 24 hours-notice that we had been chosen to come to the exclusive party.

Opening DJ acts Perto and Ninajirachi juiced up the audience before Her Majesty graced the stage, leaving the energy in the room palpable. Both openers are as talented as they are young, Petro is only 17 while Ninajirachi is 18! You heard it here first, they will both be hitting the festival circuits hard within the year (and once they become adults!). You may know Ninajirachi from her hit single in 2017, “Pure Luck”, which topped the Spotify Australia Viral Charts.

While Charli XCX didn’t end up showcasing any of her new music from her album, her dedicated superfans gratefully sang her lyrics back to her from top hits like “I Love It”, “1999”, “Boys”, and her latest single “Gone.” Charli’s iconic sensual dance moves were particularly fun to watch while she sported a rainbow puffer jacket and matching rainbow leggings, resembling a very gay snowman.

Charli XCX’s shows pop off like an underground rave in Berlin, with energy radiating from every person in the venue equally matched to the talented performer’s own infectious energy. Her sugary candy-coated lyrics are the kind of ephemeral pop that much more established artists struggle to perfect. Charli is confident in her performance and an extremely charismatic performer.

Charli XCX album is available for pre-order here and will be released on September 13th. We expect there will be a world tour announced soon after the album drop, so keep your eyes peeled to catch this pop princess in the flesh.

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